A New Approach to Estimate Monthly Groundwater Nitrate Loading from an Individual Agricultural Field |
Posted on:2013-08-16 | Degree:M.Sc | Type:Thesis |
University:University of Calgary (Canada) | Candidate:Malekani, Farzin | Full Text:PDF |
GTID:2451390008972579 | Subject:Hydrologic sciences |
Abstract/Summary: | |
The magnitude and timing of nitrate export from a single agricultural field was investigated using an approach that combined detailed vertical groundwater nitrate concentration profiles with Darcy's flux estimation at the down-gradient edge of the field. Groundwater was sampled approximately monthly using passive diffusion samplers. Darcy groundwater fluxes were estimated using field-measured hydraulic gradients and lab-estimated hydraulic conductivity. Nitrate exported from the agricultural field over the year-long monitoring period was estimated to be 71 kg N ha-1, while the chloride mass flux estimate was 49 kg Cl ha-1. The similarity in field applied chloride (51 kg Cl ha-1) and estimated export suggests the mass flux estimation approach is robust. The highest monthly mass flux was observed in February and March (approximately 9 kg N ha-1) and was associated with leaching from the soil zone with the onset fall precipitation after the growing season. |
Keywords/Search Tags: | Nitrate, Field, Approach, Agricultural, Groundwater, Monthly, Ha-1 |
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